Mail-delivery apparatus



K mrmvrrA Fel 8' 1927 R. SEVERINO A MAIL DELIVE'RY APPARAV'IUS v Filed-May 14. 1923 l 2 Sheets-Sheet l 7/ e l l I ff -Ll :lfm

f g-zz IN VEN TOR:

' l Wal/M 'Scwruzb A 16177-170" Feb 8 1927 R. sEvEmNo f MAIL DELIVERYAPPARATUS Filed May 14, 192:5 2 sheets-snaai a 25a Val' Y 55 chains 19with, a

YPatented Feb.l 8, y

UNIP- En srr j v RALPH SEVERINO, or AUSTIN-PENNSYLVANIA.

Marti-DELIVERY' APPAmiJiuUs Application meer May 14.1923; 'serial No.638,743. 'j l This'invention relates to a mail-delivery apparatusadapted to beinstalled in banks,

olice buildings, or apartment houses, to eninto a numberofgcompartmentsinto which the mail may be placed bythe mail carrierandwhich will be moved by a suitable conveyor vmember-to the differentofiices or apartments. l For further comprehension of the invention, andofthe objects andv advantages thereof, reference will 4be had to thefollow-.

ing description and accompanying dra-wings,

and ,to the `appended claims in which the' various novel features of theinvention are more particularly setY forth.

j Fig. 1 of the drawings isfa diagrammatic elevation showing myimprovedA mail delivery apparatus. f

-F ig. 2 is a detail elevational view shoW.- ing the means for drivingtheconveyor- Fig. 3 is a plan view of the delivery box. Fig. 4 is anendviewther'eof, indicating the conveyor chain in transverse section.,Fig' isa face vview thereof. Y

6 fs a fragmentary rear view. Y Fig. 7 is afragmentary .horizontalsectional view .indicatin the'arrangement of `the guide-pipes Vfort ecords that operate the contact-controllingcams. i

In Fig. 1 of the drawings I have indicated L `in diagrammatic lines abuilding such as an oilice building, the lines 10. indicating the lwallpartitions. In one wallof each com- -10 partment vis an opening 12through which the mail is received by the occupantof the compartment,while adjacent the `entrance .to

the building isan opening 13 through which the mail carrier inserts the.mail into I the delivery box. In constructing myimproved apparatus Iprovide a pair of sprocket chains 15 which are looped over suitablesprocket wheels 16V arranged in pairs, the respective wheels of eachpair being mounted on separate," axially alined, stub shafts to leavethe space `between the two wheels free for the passage of the delivery.or carrier box. rlhe chains may be driven by an electric motor 17 whoseshaft 18 is connected bysprocket pair of the stubfshafts supporting thesprocket wheels. Itv will .be

gage one link of each chain.` Means are procompartmentl is closed Vafter'the mail has yof the box adjacent the free edges lof the ,thebail 31and is provided with an inclined understood of course that a suitablechute indicated diagrammatically at C in Fig. 4, is providedy in thebuilding for the apparatus, the various sprocket wheels being suitablysupported in this chute Von the side walls` l thereof.

' Thev mail lcarrier is in the form of an oblong rectangular box 2Owhich is divided into` a numberfof vcompartments closed yon one side byseparate hinged doors 22. This boxiis :lixed to yand between/the chains15, Y having fixed projectingr studs23 which envided whereby, whenthebox. comes opposite anv aperture 12 in the wall ofan oiice orYCompartment the circuitV through the' motor 17 isopened, while thiscircuit is again man-- u ally closed when the door of the 'proper beenremoved therefrom. i y ,f

To open the `circuit to thev motor I provide adjacent each opening 12 acam member'25 `which engages a cam projection 26von`one', 27 of a pairof contact members carried by the box 20 and lifts it from the, otherone,v 28.. Mounted on the box 20 and hinged to lugs 30.there0n, isa-bail-like rod 31 whose intermediate portion extends along the sidedoor 22. One of the legs of this bail Yhas an 'extension 31 whichcarries the contactQS. Hinged to the free jedge of eachdoor is an arm 33which normally projects up behind upper end indicated onv the drawingsat33 which is adapted t-o engage the bail V31 to -b move the contact 28when the door 22;;is closed, the latch riding freely under the bail whenthe doorV opens, a spring 34 returning 95 it to normal position when'the bail has been cleared. Each arm 33 is provided with va downwardlyprojecting tail-piece 33 which kengages the door and-holds the armagainst outward movement from its normal position. Adjacent the opening13 I provide a cam disk 25a which is pivoted further offy centre than.the disks25 and'has fixed co-axiallythereto a projecting knob25h-whereby `it may' be' rotated. rlhis cam element isso :positioned 105-as to engage 'the cam on the Contact 27 and movethe latter away'fromthecontact 2'8 ,when the box 2O is in registry with theopening 13. Whenthe mail box istraveling past the cams 25, or 25a, in an invertedposition, 110 as it doesv in twostories shown on the draw,-` ing, caremust be taken-in correctly position- 26 upwards, and therefore it isnecessary to Ving these cams, sincefthe weight of the bail 3l forces thecontact 28, and hence the spring make adjusting corrections so that thecams will be effective in breakingk the circuit. The cam element 25before referred tois in the form of anl eccentricallyrpivoted disksuitably mounted on the outer wall, indicated at C, of the conduit orchute through which the box moves and having an arm extension to whichlare connected a pair ofv oppositely leading cords .36 and 37. Thesecords 26 and 37 may lead through suitable' pipes such as those indicatedat 50 f in Figs; 7 andV S of .the drawing, these pipes extending alongthe chute to the desiredpoints.v One of these cords leads to a pointadjacent the receiving opening 13 while the other leads to a point adjacentthe discharge opening l2. vr`lt will be understood ofcourse thatthere will'bea number of cord ends adjacent the receivingopeningcorresponding tothe number of ldischarge: openings alongthe route oftheV box. rifhe contacts 27,`l 28 are connected'by suitable wiresrespectively ,toV a pair of'spring `contacts l0 and 4l mounted on thebox-20 and .adapted to engage insulated rails 42, i3 extending along thechute G and suitably connected to the motor'l? and the source ofcurrent.

The manner of operation is as follows: Assuming the box'20 to beopposite the receiving opening 13; The mail carrier opens the properdoor 22 and inserts in the com*- partments in the box the mail for thedifferent oiiices or apartments. After he has closed the doorshe turnsknob 251 moves the cam 25a to a position allowing the contacts 27, 28'toengage one another. He also pulls the proper cords 36, according to theplacesat which the mail is to go, and thus sets the camsv25 to operativeposition. The

motor then rstarts and after the box has moved slightly the mail carrierreturns'cam 25EL to its original position. As the box comesadjacentltheopening 12 the cam 26 on the contact 27 rides under the cam 25 nearr thesaidY opening and opens the motor circuit. VThe cam l26 is indicated onthe drawing in the form of a point, but the cams 25 Aare so positionedthat the point contacts with the cam through a suflicient arc of thecam, so thatthe circuit is not momentarily broken, but remains broken asuflicient length of time to allow'the inertia of the box, and'motor tobe overcome, thereby bringing the box to a stop. rlhe box then stops andthe person in the oflice or apart- Vment opens the proper door 22, (eachdoor being provided if desired with a separatev key actuated lock) andremoves the mail. When the door swings open the arm 33 thereon ridesunder the bail 3l without lifting -thelatter, the spring 3ft yielding toallow the arm to rock on its pivot. When the door 22 is againclo'sed theybail 31 is engaged by the latch 33 andthe contact 28 ycarried therebyis moved into engagement with the contact 27. The motor then Ystarts andwhen the box advances and the cam'26 ridesfrom `under the cam 25 thespring contact 27 moves the contact 28 (and with it the bail 3l) toitsoriginal position while still retaining its engagement therewith, it

being understood that'the bail has adegree of frictional engagementwith'its pivots suficient both to preventit moving when 'the doors 22are opened land to ensure of the contacts remaining engaged when the camonthe former is freed. It Visivery obvious that even if the box is intheinverted posi-V Y tion, the operation will be the. same, provided ofcourse that'the'cams are correctly positioned as before explained. Theperson receiving the mailv then" pulls the cord 57 tov reset thev cam ininoperative position:

The box finallyv comesV to a position adjacent the receiving opening 13and the'camj26 engages the cam 25a and opens the circuit.

By reason Vof the increased degree of eccentricity of thiscam it movescontact V2'? 'an yincreased distance sol thatclosing of the doors 22does not cause contact 28v to engage it. l may if desired provide a bellin each office or apartment whichI is energized when the box comes 'torest at the mail delivery opening of the apartment. L

VHaving thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent of the United vStates lis as follows: i

1. Thecombination in a device of the dass described, of d mailboxdivided into a number of compartments closed on one side by separatehinged doors, having at their free edges pivoted arms which normallyproject upbehind a bail extending along the side of the box on the topthereof, and pivotally mounted thereto, rand having an extension which`carries one of a pair of contacts, the Vother being carried by atriangular cam element also mounted von the i said doors arevclosednormally project up behind a bail extending along the side of thebox on the top thereof, and pivotallyk mounted thereto, and having an fextension which carries one of a pair of contacts, the other beingcarried by a triangular cam element also mounted on the top of saidbox,

saidrpivoted arms having extensions allowing motion in one directiononly, and normal ,position springs holding said arms against thesaid"bail,whereby When a door is opened the arm pivoted thereto bendsto;VV

*having an vextension Which carries one of a pair of contacts, the otherof said contacts being carried by a triangular cam element also mountedon the top of thev said mail box.

4L. The combination ina device of the class described, of a mail box, abail on the top thereof, pvotally mounted thereto, and having anextension which lcarries one of a'pair vof-oontacts, the other'of'saidcontacts beingV Y carried by `a triangularv'cam element falso' mountedonthe'top of the said mail box; v

5. They combination inv a mail `delivery apparatusnhaving an endlessconveyor, and a mail box carried therebyof a bail extend ing along theside of the box on thev top thereof, pivotally mountedthereto, andhaving an extension which carries one of a lpair of contacts, the otherof said contacts being carried by aY triangular ,A cam element alsomounted on the top of lthe said Vmail box. n n *v f In testimony whereofI have aiixed my signature.

RALPH'sEv-ERINO.

